White Flag
by Lily Anna Evans Potter
Summary: Post-3.11: Days before T.C is due to leave for Turkey with Syd, Topher corners Drew one night and begs him to forgive T.C for the brawl that got the pair locked up. Content with his new life as a father, Drew agrees and finds that forgiving his friend really does make him feel better. Rick and Brianna are his family, but so is everyone on the night shift and T.C must know that.


**White Flag**

"Dad, we're being watched." Thirteen-year-old Brianna shifted slightly in her hospital bed and pointed over Drew's shoulder. "I think our private time's up for tonight. Man, I can't wait to get out of here."

"Aww, here I thought you liked hanging out with me," Drew teased her; handing the copy of the Narnia book he'd been reading her across the bed to his husband. "Here's your chance to see if Daddy does the voices better than I do." He glanced reluctantly over his shoulder to see Topher tapping on the sliding glass door. "I should probably get to work." He moved quickly around the bed and gave Rick a quick kiss. "I'll check in with you guys later, alright?"

"You really have come a long way," said Rick with a longing look that made it brutally harder to walk out. "Go and save some lives, hot stuff. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, babe, just you try and trump my Narnia reading," Drew challenged on his way out. "See you later." Brianna's room, it turned out, was a safe haven. It was where the two people who made him happiest in the world could often be found in the same place. The contrast to Topher's firm grip when the night shift boss dragged him into the hallway was, at any rate, extreme. "Easy Toph, what's going on?"

"I need you to do something for me, Drew," Topher began, sounding firm but also a touch frantic. "And maybe you're not gonna like it, but it's very important to me."

"What do you need?" asked Drew curiously, his mind still lingering with Rick and Brianna.

"T.C is going to Syria with Major Jennings," said Topher, telling Drew a fact that he already knew.

"Yeah, I know…so what?" The younger medic's expression darkened at the mention of T.C, whose binge-drinking and the resulting bar fight had made Drew miss Brianna's surgery a few days earlier. "You did a good job convincing Syd to take him on; dude's a hot mess these days. What's your point?"

"My point is I need you to not be mad at him anymore." Drew opened his mouth defensively, but the Asian man raised a hand to silence him with a pleading gaze to boot. "Look, I know that scuffle of his made you miss being there for Brianna's surgery and it was a tough break. But if you stay mad at him, he's going to be dwelling on that instead of his surroundings in Turkey and he could get himself killed."

"Why would he dwell on that?" muttered Drew sceptically. "The most convincing thing you said to Syd to let T on board was true: Chaos is his happy place."

"Speaking as his best friend, he's just had too much chaos in his life lately," Topher sighed. "Please Drew? I've never been in the position where I can't have his back in situations like this. But I have to stay here and fight to keep this hospital afloat, you know that. Can you please just talk to him so he goes away with as little baggage as possible? I need him to come home safely."

"Dude, you're actually begging," Drew marvelled, stunned at the genuine desperation in Topher's eyes. "It's like you're Jordan today, freaky."

"Would it kill you to talk to him?" Topher argued. "T.C and Jordan have been through so much this year, losing the baby and then with their relationship falling apart. Please let him go away with your forgiveness at least." He stared past Drew into Brianna's room, where Rick was animatedly reading to the now drowsy teenager. "Forgiveness is a good quality to teach your daughter, you know."

"It still sounds so weird but wonderful to hear that…my daughter." Drew smiled at his little family through the glass for a moment, then turned solemnly to Topher once more; "Alright, I'll do it. I've never been happier, there's no point in letting T.C think I hate him on top of everything else he's got going on. I mean, he was the first one to tell me that gay was okay when I was so deep in the closet it was practically Narnia."

"Brianna loves Narnia, doesn't she?" Topher followed his friend's gaze to the sleepy teenager in the bed Rick was guarding dotingly. "It's not a bad fantasy to hold on to as a kid, especially with the life she's had."

"I certainly spent long enough in that damn closet," sighed Drew. "I'm never going back there again; my whole world is in that room. I wouldn't give it up for anything."

"Just give up your anger towards T at least," Topher begged wearily. "He needs your friendship, Drew."

"I'm on it," said the army medic. "Do you know where he is?" Topher pointed in the direction of the chaotic E.R and Drew set off, finally locating T.C doing paperwork at the nurse's station. "Hey, T," he said, tapping the dark-haired man on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

T.C turned around and at the wary look in his eyes, Drew finally began to understand Topher's urgency for this conversation to happen. "Yeah?" he said; "What do you want, Drew? I have a ton of paperwork to get through before I leave."

"I know," Drew told him. "I just wanted to say…good luck over there. Syd's very lucky to have you on her team and I'm gonna make sure she knows it. Prove me right this time, okay?"

"I will," T.C nodded seriously; "Thank you." He hesitated for a moment, but Drew could sense more coming from the sincerity in his dark eyes. "Listen, man, I'm really sorry about getting us locked up the other night. I was a dick about the whole thing when you just wanted to be here for Brianna. She's a very lucky girl."

"I appreciate that, T," said Drew sincerely. "I know Topher says chaos is your happy place, but…you need to be careful over there, okay? You deserve to have a family one day and I really think you will. It really sucks what happened to the baby."

"It does," T.C nodded stiffly and fell silent for a moment, leaving the younger man wondering if he had said the wrong thing.

"I guess I'll see you in a few weeks then," he finished awkwardly. "I should let you get back to that paperwork."

He turned to leave, but T.C's strong hand clamped down on his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. "I'm glad we're cool, buddy," he said. "I don't know much for sure, but I do know that you're going to be a great Dad."

"You think so?" Drew's gaze was hopeful but disbelieving as if the entire situation still felt like a dream.

"Are you kidding me?" T.C laughed; "Her Dad throws the meanest punch in San Antonio, I don't envy Brianna's future boyfriends. You deserve her, pal." His eyes turned solemn then; "If that night in jail affects the adoption process in any way I'll testify for you myself, you have my word. It was my fault."

Before he knew what was happening, T.C was trapped in a fierce hug. He was too surprised to even return it before Drew stepped back with a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks for being the first to let me be myself, T. You may feel like everything's a mess right now but you taught me how to be brave and I hope you remember that over there. You better get your ass home safely, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," T.C promised and offered Drew a final fist bump. "Look after Jordan for me, will you? I worry about her."

"She worries about you too," Drew pointed out. "She has the entire night shift on her side, you know. We're all family here, T…just come home soon." A jerky nod was T.C's only response this time before he returned to his paperwork, but Drew could have sworn he looked more relaxed now.

He walked back to Brianna's room feeling glad Topher had convinced him to make peace with T.C because now he could watch the teenager sleep and feel like he was setting his first good example as a parent. Forgiveness was the first key to inner peace and family was the second, a family they all were on every crazy night shift through the ages.

 **A / N So on a roll with the Night Shift marathoning and drabbles to go with the roller-coaster of feels. Enjoy! xx**


End file.
